1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to trowels for use in flooring installation. More particularly, the present invention relates to trowels that are used by an operator while the operator is in a generally upright orientation.
2. Related Art
Installation of flooring materials, such as vinyl flooring and some types of carpeting, often requires application of adhesive material to the floor area over which the flooring is to be installed. Adhesive materials are most often applied by heaping a large portion of adhesive in a central location and spreading the adhesive outwardly with a hand trowel that includes toothed depressions through which the adhesive passes to ensure consistent coverage of the adhesive. Hand trowels generally require that the operator kneel in position adjacent the adhesive and move, on hands and knees, in one or more directions as the adhesive is spread. The physical toll taken on the knees, legs and backs of operators from kneeling while spreading adhesive can result in significant discomfort during the adhesive application process and/or in significant injury resulting therefrom.
In an effort to address the problems associated with the use of hand trowels in flooring applications, trowels have been developed that purport to enable an operator to use the trowel while in a standing, upright position. While such upright trowels have addressed some of the problems discussed above, they have proved unsuccessful in that merely adding an elongate handle to an ordinary hand trowel results in a trowel that cannot be manipulated by the operator with enough precision to allow suitable coverage of the adhesive.
In other cases, attempts have been made to add control to the trowel in variety of manners, for example, by allowing adjustment, from an upright position, of tilt of the trowel blade relative to the handle and/or twist of the trowel blade relative to the handle. However, such attempts have resulted in upright trowels that are overly bulky and difficult to transport and store. In addition, such conventional upright trowels generally include components that are easily damaged when transported or stored in utility vehicles, and that can become easily fouled with adhesive materials during the adhesive application process.